Pre-Law Program

Mission

Wheaton College serves Jesus Christ and advances His Kingdom through excellence in liberal arts and graduate programs that educate the whole person to build the church and benefit society worldwide.

Christian attorneys can build the church and improve society worldwide by using the power of the law for Kingdom purposes, such as demonstrating love to neighbors through stewardship and service, promoting justice, and restoring shalom through the integration of biblical and legal principles.

The Pre-Law Program of Wheaton College contributes to this mission by assisting students in exploring or confirming a calling to the legal profession and by preparing students for the intellectual rigors and moral complexities in the study and practice of law.

Objectives

The Pre-Law Program provides students with access to a variety of resources, activities, and events that focus on mastering the law school admissions process, preparing for a legal education, and understanding the various career paths in the legal profession.

Through participation in the Pre-Law Program, students should:

Understand that the decision to go to law school should be motivated by a desire to use God-given gifts and talents to glorify God by serving as an instrument of God’s love to the neighbors that are encountered in the practice of law – clients, colleagues, administrative staff, opposing counsel and their clients, judges, witnesses, and others.

Understand the daily work of an attorney as part of their exploration of a calling to the practice of law.

Know the types of intellectual skills tested by the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and understand the importance of preparing for the LSAT either via self-directed practice tests and study or a reputable commercial test preparation service.

Understand the components of a law school application (the application, the LSAT score, transcripts, the personal statement, the resume, and letters of recommendation) and how to use those components to present themselves to decision makers both truthfully and in the best light.

Understand the merit-based nature of law school financial aid, the sources of financial aid, the financial aid application process, and the importance of financial aid in making a final decision about which law school to attend.

Develop an appreciation of the relationship between law and morality and the role of law in shaping public policy at the macro level and impacting people’s lives at the micro level.

The Pre-Law Program represents a menu of choices rather than a specific program of studies, and students who are thinking about becoming a lawyer or who are interested in the law may select their own level of involvement in the Pre-Law Program.

Pre-Law Advisor

At the center of the Pre-Law Program is the Pre-Law Advisor. The William Volkman Chair of Business and Law, a chair endowed by alumni in honor of a former professor at Wheaton College, is held by a tenure-track professor who teaches law-related classes in the Department of Business and Economics and Department of Politics and International Relations and who serves as the Pre-Law Advisor. The photo at left shows William Volkman, left, with the Pre-Law Advisor, Stephen Bretsen.